Whew, the weeks are flying by. This week I was wholly focused on getting my two new recruits hired and offers signed. How did I do this in 7 short days? Well, this is not for the faint of heart. First, I made fast friends with HR to find out their policy around recruiting, their process and to ensure I was following protocols as much as possible...Did you get that last part -- as much as possible.

Well, we use a platform to track all candidates like many companies. The resumes coming in that applied for the jobs were well, less than desirable. Thus, I went to my network on Linked In. I knew I had to have the best of the best if we are going to take this ship into journeys far and wide. Thus, I started looking for Marketo champions on the marketo site and then cross-referenced their Linked in Profile. I was truly looking for someone who understand the MarTech stack and how it all fit together. I wasn't merely seeking someone who can send out a campaign...I was seeking a person who understood how the technology translates to business decisions. I also needed a Lead Development team member and a marketing analyst. So here are the steps:

1. Ensure compliance with HR policies is a must.

2. I sourced candidates I felt were good on Linked In and through the Marketo community.

3. I did pre-screen calls.

4. I entered the top three candidates into our HR system.

5. I invited the top two in for peer interviews and to evaluate myself on how they responded to situational questions.

6. I had a conversation with the candidate about what they were expecting to make a job change.

7. I made an offer with HR.

8. I watched the offer until it was released to the candidate. One of the offers got stuck and I was able to make some calls to get it unstuck quickly.

9. I reached out to the candidate personally to invite questions.

10. I received a signed agreement.

Remember, there are several keys to this process. Speed is of utmost importance when you are finding talent that is searching on the down low. It is important to move candidates through the process quickly so you don't lose the excitement. Next, it is really important to ensure you and the candidate are in the same financial ballpark. If not, you end up getting false hopes and expectations mis-matched. Lastly, follow through with the process. Own it. Remember, HR is there to support you, but ultimately, having the ideal team is up to the leader. Take it from a leader who knows how important a team is, find your candidates and build the team that you have dreamed. Oh, as of this blog, my last candidate has already signed the agreement. My team in place -- check.

Keep an eye out for future weeks and I will share our journey as we become the Center of Excellence as a Marketing Operations team that others dream of creating. Let's do this.